I won a canoe last weekend.  It is an Old Town Predator.  http://www.oldtowncanoe.com/canoes/huntingFishing/predator_c133.html

I am going to use it for my new small river fishing/touring rig.  I have never had a canoe before.  I have life jackets, rod holders, and an anchor.  I know that I need to get paddles.  

So what I am asking is what kind of paddles are good for a beginner who will be paddling solo for the most part?  Also is there anything else that I should pick up?  And any other useful information?  Thanks

I've not fished from a canoe, but I have spent a lot of time conoeing.

You don't need more than one paddle. A longer one for more power, or shorter one for more maneuverability.

Cabelas makes a bag that will snap onto the beams that run the width of the canoe that is waterproof. These are good for odds and ends like your wallet, keys, phone, etc. You won't lose them if you happen to dump it.

Hope that's a bit of help.

I'd recomend one of those extendable handle paddles as A BACKUP in case you loose your main paddle in a tipover or other unforeseen accident. Be SURE to lanyard the backup to the canoe. Without a paddle, you are literally "up the creek" if you drop or loose your primary one.

Canoes can be very tippy. BE CAREFUL. Remember that you'll have to paddle a couple of strokes on one side and then switch over to the other side. Feathering the paddle blade on the return stroke (when the paddle is coming forward) is kinda tricky at first but almost imperative if you don't want to wear yourself out real quick. Also, the paddling stroke is more of a downward and pull to the rear as you keep the paddle blade dug into the water and the paddle shaft real close to the side of the canoe on which you're paddling.

That's about all I can remember from the fantastic canoe trips I went on way back in 1966-67 during High School.

Lanyard everything to the canoe that you don't want to loose. PRACTICE getting into the canoe in some shallow water. ALWAYS WEAR A PFD and practice re-entering the canoe with it ON!

You may want to contact some local canoe experts for some quick lessons in canoeing and safety practices.

Congratulation on your WIN!!!

You will need two paddles.  A canoe paddle which has a much longer and slightly broader paddle surface than the standard boat paddle and a short paddle about two-three feet you can work with one hand to while fishing.

Wear your PFD and make several canoe trips without anything in it but yourself until you get used to it, they can dump you in a heartbeat, so get your bodies balance system trained before adding gear.

When you're paddleing, hold the blade of the paddle at approx a  60 degrees and at the end of the stroke, make a slight outward kick with the paddle.  You will have play with the anlge a little but learn to do this and you can paddle from one side of the boat without having to change sides with the paddle to keep it straight.  Use more angle and and extra kick out to turn left, less angle to turn right.

Another trick when you're by yourself is to use it backwards.  Sit in the front seat facing the rear seat.  The front seat places your weight closer to the center of the boat and helps keep the end from riding way up in the air and will require much less ballast weight in the other end.   If you put a TM on it, place the battery in the opposite end from where you're sitting.

Thanks for the comments.  I cant wait for it to warm up a bit.  I'll do some scouting before bass season opens to see what kind of trees have fallen and created new fishing spots.